H1N1 arrives

The inevitable has finally arrived. We have our 1st confirmed case of Influenza A H1N1-2009 virus. This child came in for bronchitis and was isolated because of his high fever on admission and travel history. Upon confirmation of H1N1 this morning, he is transferred to KKWCH as per existing MOH policy. Due to the importance of this matter, the ADON and the Infection Control staff were present at the ward this morning.

Our ward is now designated for isolation. All staff must wear N95 mask and monitor their health closely even on their off-days. Previously we had a choice to use surgical mask instead of N95. Most of the staff at or related to our ward (e.g. our housekeepers, our regular paediatric physiotherapist, the diagnostic staff handling the case) are now on the contact tracing list. We are not required to be quarantined for now.

This is inevitable as parents prefer to consult paediatrician specialists about their children's illness and be admitted to a private hospital for the better service while awaiting the test results. The parents' perspective makes sense as there have been several cases where the lab confirmed that they were not H1N1.